


A Conversation After the Dark

by CanaryWarrior



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: We deserved a convo between them, post 4x09
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:22:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23603749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanaryWarrior/pseuds/CanaryWarrior
Summary: Riley noted, “You know, if you had met me all those years ago, you probably would’ve hated me.”Mac’s expression turned soft and he grabbed Riley’s hand. “Riley, I don’t think I could ever hate you.”Post 4x09. Riley and Mac talk about what happened.
Relationships: Riley Davis & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Riley Davis/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 179





	A Conversation After the Dark

It was about twenty minutes after Russ left, and Mac was trying to figure out what the numbers his father said in his video meant. The first thing that came to mind was coordinates, but those required less numbers. Perhaps it was a code of some sort? Maybe he can ask Riley to help when she got home, but after everything that happened today, Mac is sure that the last thing she wants to deal with is code. Mac was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the door open and the footsteps that followed.

“Hey, Mac,” Riley said softly, careful not to startle him. Mac looked up.

“Riles, I didn’t hear you come in.”

Riley set a bag of Chinese food down. “Have you eaten?”

Mac’s gaze flickered between the bag and the hacker. “I’m not hungry,” he stated, looking back at the numbers before looking at Riley. “Are you okay?”

“I was gonna ask you the same thing,” the brunette confessed. “Russ told me about what happened today at the power plant, and about the video. Do you wanna talk about it?” Riley asked, concern and worry shining through her eyes.

“No, I just want to figure out what these numbers mean,” Mac responded, determined to get to the bottom of it. “Maybe this is the key to taking down Codex.”

Riley took out a take out container from the plastic bag. “Well, I guarantee you that you won’t figure it out on an empty stomach. Come on, let’s eat dinner and then we can work on this.”

“Riley, I can’t ask you to help me with this.” Mac knew that Riley was dealing with a lot too. He wasn’t going to drag her down emotionally with him.

Riley gave the blonde a small smile. “You see, the thing with family is that you don’t need to ask us for help. You’re not alone remember?” She handed him the container. “Come on.”

Mac hesitated before accepting. He and Riley got some drinks from the fridge and settled on his couch with their dinner.

After eating about half of their dinner, Riley spoke. “I’m so sorry, Mac.” At Mac’s confused look, she continued. “I’m sorry for what happened to your father, and I’m sorry for what happened today. You had to choose to let an innocent person die, all because of a code I created. Everything that happened today was my fault.” Riley put her container on the table to look directly at her friend. An innocent man had died because she created a dangerous code, and Mac, who had just lost his father, had to make a difficult choice. She wished she never created Nemesis. If she hadn’t the entire city wouldn’t have been plunged into darkness, innocent people wouldn’t have been hurt and killed, and Peyton and Kai would probably be out of jail.

Mac put his food down. “Riley, none of this was your fault. You didn’t use that code to hurt anyone. You saved the day.”

“But it’s still my fault that you had to make that choice,” Riley said quietly. She felt absolutely terrible that Mac was put in that position. After losing his father, and finding out that his aunt and deceased mother had a plan to kill millions to reset the world? Riley wanted to help him with his grief, not add on to it.

Mac put his hands on Riley’s shoulders. “No one blames you for what happened, especially not me. I promise.” He meant every word of it. Mac knew his heart was already broken but seeing Riley in all this pain made it break even more.

“Thanks, Mac,” she said quietly.

“You know, I thought it was Codex,” Mac confessed. Seeing all that destruction… it looked exactly like Codex’s MO. “I went kinda crazy because of it.”

“Mac, you’re grieving, It’s understandable that you thought it was them. But it was Payton.”

“I’m sorry.”

Riley took a breath. “She said that the only way to fix the problem is to show them that they have something to lose.”

Mac pondered this. It sounded like something a member of Codex would say. “Do you think she was a part of Codex? It does sound similar to their ideals.” If Payton was part of Codex, they can get her to talk, which will bring them one step closer to taking them down. Before he could think anything else, Riley spoke up.

“Mac, she didn’t get that idea from Codex, she got it from me,” Riley confessed, eyes shining. “I said that to her years ago when we tested out Nemesis on a random ATM machine.” Riley felt ashamed. She didn’t even realize that her old ideals were similar to the organization that wanted to kill millions, who already killed Mac’s father. Oh God, what will Mac think of her now? She didn’t have Aubrey or Jack or Leanna anymore, she can’t lose someone else, especially not Mac. Her feelings for him ran far deeper than friendship.

Mac was surprised. Payton did all of this based on something Riley said to her years ago? But Riley had changed, she’s one of the best people Mac knows. But why does she look like she’s ready to take her things and leave? She can’t possibly believe- oh. “Oh god, Riley, I didn’t mean that you are anything like Codex. You’re nothing like them, you’re a good person and you’ve saved a lot of lives. You don’t want destruction, you just want to help people-“

“Mac, you’re rambling,” Riley said softly, but with a small smile. At least Mac’s opinion of her didn’t change. “I was just worried that you’d be angry at me, not that I don’t deserve it-“

Mac cut her off. “Riley, there’s nothing to be angry about. And there’s nothing you can do that will make anyone on this team abandon you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, I promise.”

Riley noted, “You know, if you had met me all those years ago, you probably would’ve hated me.”

Mac’s expression turned soft and he grabbed Riley’s hand. “Riley, I don’t think I could ever hate you.” His lips twitched up as he looked at her. The small smile felt foreign on his face and it felt like he hasn’t smiled in months when in reality it had been only a few days. 

Riley leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Mac, who returned the gesture. She felt her heart flutter but ignored it. She needed a hug right now, and she’s sure that Mac needed one even more.

“Thanks, Mac,” Riley said.

“Anytime,” Mac replied, burying his head in Riley’s shoulder. 

“Hey, whenever you’re ready to talk, you know I’m here, right?” Riley wanted Mac to know that she isn’t going anywhere.

“Yeah, I know.” The two secret agents broke their hug. Mac took a breath before continuing. “I just wish I had more time with him, and I feel like I have to avenge him.”

“You’re not in this alone, Mac. We will avenge him,” Riley assured him. “Can I see those numbers? Maybe I can help.”

Mac nodded and his eyes drifted over to the paper that Russ wrote the code on. He desperately wanted to get to the bottom of the video, but it was like he had a new sense of clarity after talking to Riley. He knew that his friends, no, his family will help him no matter what. He’s not alone. “How about we both work on it tomorrow? I think we’ve had enough work today.”

Riley agreed. “Sounds like a plan.” 

The housemates picked up their dinner and resumed eating. They turned on the television, but neither of them paid attention to it. Both were lost in their own thoughts, but they had each other.


End file.
